gluten free millet buckwheat bread + exciting news!

POSTED ON March 15, 2015

I’m sorry for the delay in posting this bread recipe, but truth be told, I needed to make it a few more times before sharing…. I tried it with more liquid and less oats, seeds stirred in, the recipe doubled and then halved. In the end, I was delighted to discover that this bread is truly forgiving and was delicious every time. Another great thing about this bread is that it’s easy and you don’t need to fret about the consistency of the dough or the timing like you might in regular bread making. Just soak the grains and add everything to the food processor. In fact, last week I soaked the grains, drained them and kept them in the fridge for a number of days before I got up to making the dough. After a good rinse, I tipped them into the food processor and blended them with the other ingredients for a wonderful end product.

Eating this bread for breakfast will keep you fueled for hours, its moist, hearty texture is satisfying and comforting and it’s especially good toasted.

For these photos I doubled the recipe below. The loaf ends up quite high and I found that with the scoring (very important to the success of the loaf), it separated a little at the top, but it really wasn’t a big deal; it’s just easier to handle and cooks faster when halved. If you do go ahead with doubling the recipe, note that it will need to be cooked about 20 minutes longer.

Like many gluten free bread recipes psyllium husks are the magic ingredient that keeps it all together and actually creates the appealing spongy texture. Psyllium is the husk of the seed from the shrub like herb called Plantago. When added to fluid it quickly absorbs the liquid and forms a thick gel that is perfect for binding (see 3rd photo down). Psyllium is extremely high in fiber and is commonly taken medicinally for constipation and intestinal health. Its bulking qualities also make it good for weight loss programs.

My exciting news is that my book has been nominated for two IACP awards: I’m a finalist for the Julia Child First Cookbook Award and Health and Special Diet category. It’s such an honor to have my work recognized.

And, a couple of days ago Mind Body Green named me one of the 100 women in wellness to watch. I’m beyond delighted to be included in a truly inspiring group.

I hope you make the bread and I’d love to hear how you like it.

Have a great week!

Amy x

Gluten-free buckwheat millet bread

Feel free to double the recipe for a large loaf (like what’s pictured). Just be sure to bake it an extra 20 minutes. Although I always check the bread for doneness by inserting a small knife into the center, the blade will come out slightly sticky even when it is ready. The knife shouldn’t be too wet but it won’t ever be completely clean.

Combine buckwheat and millet in a large jar or bowl and cover with at least 3 inches of filtered water. Set aside to soak over night or for 10 to 12 hours.

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a piece of parchment paper and line a 9-inch (1-pound) loaf pan; set aside.

Combine water with psyllium, stir and set aside to thicken.

Pour soaked buckwheat and millet into a medium strainer and rinse well. Buckwheat will be slimy, so it will need a good wash. Drain thoroughly then place in a food processor and add ¾ cup of the oats, baking powder, salt and oil. Add soaked psyllium mixture and blend until completely combined and grains have mostly broken down. Add remaining oats and blend until just combined.

Scrape dough into loaf pan and spread out evenly. Top with seeds and use a sharp knife to score the top of the loaf in several places.

Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes, remove and re-cut the places where you scored it earlier. (This step is very important as you need to let air into the dough otherwise it won’t cook properly.) Return to oven for another 40 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan and set aside to cool completely before slicing. Once cool store bread in a sealed container. In a cool kitchen it can be kept at room temperature for about 4 days or can be stored in the fridge for a week. It can also be sliced and frozen; then defrosted in the toaster.

109 Comments:

I love your recipes Amy! I am going to try this bread asap. The brown rice bread with sprouted spelt flour from your cookbook is wonderful. But seeing as I am mostly gluten free this will be better for me.
QUESTION: I have had a container of chia seeds in my refrigerator for at least 2 years now. Should I toss them and buy new or ok to use? They smell very omega-3 like. Such as pure omega 3 oil or vitamins would smell.
Thx!
Carol

so glad you’re enjoying the bread and I hope you like this one, it has a much more savory flavor.
If the chai seeds smell then maybe you should get some fresh. I guess the oils went rancid but it wouldn’t have happened fast in the fridge.

Thank you for your fast reply Amy. I wasn’t sure if that smell meant they were rancid but I guess they are. Better safe than sorry!
I met you once at Angelika with my friend Ellen. Loving the cookbook. Also made the lemon tarts for my friends which were excellent. Although I can’t have gluten a little of the sprouted spelt flour seems to be ok for me!! I buy it at whole foods in Columbus circle.
I have been meaning to do a review of your book on my website – will get to it soon – I took a photo of the lemon tarts I made to go with it 🙂 I wish you much success!!
Carol

No, I don’t add sweeners to savoiry food but you could if you wanted and I’m sure it wouldn’t effect the consistancy.
The bread has a delicious savory flavor from the buckwheat which is why it tastes great with avocado.
Let me know how you like it!

I love your take on this sort of loaf, and that you’ve blended it before baking – I think the texture would be really nice from that and plan to bake a loaf soon! Those open-face sandwiches with the radishes look so pretty too!

The scoring is to let the air out so the bread can cook inside and not just form a hard crust. It’s about 1/4 inch deep, maybe 1/3 inch and yes I did it on an angle like you would on a traditional loaf. You can see in the photos that I made about 5 cuts.

Amy, I love all your recipes – but you just made my day with this bread! Just this morning I was wishing for the perfect healthy, yummy bread recipe – and I know this is the one! I can’t wait to make it (over and over again). Thank you for your incredible genius and creativity. :))

This recipe is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Just recently went gluten free and looking for a bread recipe to try. I love buckwheat, millet and oats, this is perfect. I also started taking psyllium this week and definitely need some other ways to consume it, as I just can’t stomach mixing it into a big glass of water and chugging that down, yuck. I’ve tried psyllium mixed into my morning bowl of oats and buckwheat and that’s not bad, but I think this bread will be an even better vehicle for it. Thanks for the great option, I can’t wait to make myself a sandwich!

Congratulations, Amy! What an honor, though I’m also not surprised. 😉
And this is exactly the sort of bread I’ve been looking to have in my repertoire for myself but also for clients. And I love the easy method…similar to the quinoa pancakes in your cookbook. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I know I can trust!

Congratulations on these nominations, Amy! It is wonderful that your work is getting this well-deserved attention and recognition. And thank you for this bread recipe – I look forward to making it this week.

I must try this one! It is inspiring – as all of your recepies are! And I love buckwheat! Thank you for sharing.
Congratulations, Amy, on your success and I keep my fingers crossed for the nominations!

Congrats!
Just made your bread and the texture is amazing!
However I only had baking soda so used a 1/3rd Tbsp, it got quite big but it has a funny taste and smell do you think it can be because of the bicarb?

Possibly? But with such a small amount I don’t think it would effect the taste. Buckwheat has a distinkive smell but its nutty and delicious so perhaps the grains were rancid…or the oil?
Let me know if you figure it out.

I love your cook book and this bread looks delicious. If using psyllium powder rather than husk, how much powder would you use, would you soak it, and how would you incorporate it into the mix? Congrats on your nomination.

I haven;t tried it with powder but I think you need to reduce it by a tablespoon, so 3 or 6 TBS depending on whether you double it or not. I would just stir it into the water just like the recipe says. Please let me know how it turns out!

Thank you so much. The bread is fantastic and has livened up my lunches. The recipe worked brilliantly. The psyllium powder sets really quickly. I can now indulge healthily in toast and Marmite. Such joy!

Amaranth is much stickier than millet so I recommend not adding all the liquid at once (dissolve the psyllium in lass water) and add the additional water if you need it. You could look at the photo of the blended dough to get an idea of consistency but as I say it is a flexible recipe. Please do let me know how it turns out.
Amy x

Dear Amy,
I made your bread this morning with amaranth instead of millet and it turns so good ! I follow your advise concerning water but finaly add the whole quantity. Thank you so much for your always so inspiring recipes. I love your book ! At the end of the day, one of my precious moment is when i can sit on the caoutch and read some pages of it !

Amy, Congrats on the cluster of honors. Having made the bread last night, I can attest to your awesome culinary abilities!
The bread came out terrific. Both my husband and I enjoyed it so much that I’m starting another one today. Neither of us is gluten-free. I liked the fact that only whole grains go into this bread plus it looked so simple to make. We have been utilizing Food for Life sprouted breads and English muffins, which are fine but have added gluten which I want to avoid.
Modifications: Instead of psyllium seed husk, I used flaxseed meal, same amount as called for in the psyllium. I do not use oil, so I added 1 TBL maple syrup, which I wanted to use up. I baked the bread in a hartstone bread loaf pan, which I lightly spritzed with non-stick veggie spray and sprinkled oat flakes along bottom and partially up the sides. I will try parchment paper on next loaf. The bread came out crispy on bottom and sides, has good texture, and a wonderful flavor. I accidentally used toasted buckwheat groats (kasha) because that is all I had on hand. It seemed to work just fine and may have added to the taste. I cooked it for 80 minutes and it seemed very done. The clay-like bread pan probably helped it get so crispy. The sides and bottom were not soggy or damp at all. I let it cook out of the pan on a rack.
Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe! I can’t wait to have my GF friends try this bread.

I’m so happy that you jumped on the recipe and like it enough to make again immediately! Thanks so sharing all the details….I’m loving the sound of the crisp crust too!
I also like the sprouted English muffins but it is good to have a gluten free bread staple. Thank you for writing and following along.

I made the bread this morning and just had a taste — delicious! Probably the best gluten-free bread I’ve ever had. I was wondering why you used whole millet and buckwheat instead of millet and buckwheat flours?

Hi Amy,
I’m a new fan of yours! Bought your book, not only for myself, but for my niece whose vegan. Just have one question. Do you do nutritional info for your recipes? I’ve recently been diagnosed as diabetic & I need to count not only carbs, but calories. Thanks!

Thanks for your support with my book! I don’t have nutritional info listed for my recipes, I know there are sites that you can enter recipes into but I haven’t used them much. Have you used them? Is there one you recommend?
Thanks and happy cooking!

Hi Amy,
I haven’t found a site yet that I really like for figuring out the nutritional values. I’m going to research it a bit more & I’ll let you know if I find anything.
Going to try the Buckwheat Millet Bread this weekend. Can’t wait!
Noreen

I followed the recipe exactly – ingredients, technique, cooking time and temp – but ended up with a very dense, moist, and flat loaf. It tastes pretty good (I toasted a few slices) but only the top half-inch has any signs of “rise.” Did this ever happen when you were developing the recipe, and any ideas for trouble-shooting? Thanks!

That bread looks gorgeous! definitely will bake it on weekend . Thanks for sharing. Just bought your book, and its by far the best plant based almost gluten free book I ever bought. I’m a healthy food nerd and know the market pretty well. Please keep going with more publishings.
Regards from Swiss,
Zimt

Hi Amy, absolutely LOVE your book, recipes, info and awesome knowledge you freely share, thank you. Have made many many recipes from your book and always get rave reviews which I definitely give you credit for. The buckwheat millet bread is out of this world fantastic in every way! have been searching for a decent bread recipe for years and hey it’s even so simple to make it’s hard to believe . Thanks again & I can’t wait for the next book !!
Warmest regards

Hi Amy-
I am huge fan of your recipes. I particularly love this is bread. My husband and I eat it as fast as I can make it! I am wondering if you have every made it with just Millet as the Buckwheat has a distinctive taste that I don’t always love.
Best regards,
Rachel

You can actually leave them out, the bread still works even if the dough is wetter. However I would increase the millet and buckwheat each by a 1/4 cup and leave verything else the same. Let me know how it goes!

Dear Amy!
I tried to replace the oats as you suggested, but in my opinion (I’ve made both version) and this came out a bit dry, not as soft as it was with oats. Delicious as well, but do you think I could substitute oats with more millet/buckwheat and some flaxseed flakes? I mean the already bit ground flax stuff. Or have you ever used buckwheat flakes in baking?
Your bread is my absolute top favourite, even my gfree friends (and my sister! which is a big deal) likes it!
Best wishes xxx

I’m not sure what you replaced the oats with….but you could try using more grains or buckwheat flakes. They all absorb liquid and bake differently so its a matter of trial and error to see what works for you. Please keep me posted!

Dear Amy!
I made the bread with buckwheat flakes and it came out pretty great! Just like with oats!
I used about 1+1/8 cup raw buckwheat groats, 3/4 cup raw millet, after soaking added 2 1/4 water, 1/4+1/8 (?) cup psyllium, 1/4 cup flaxmeal, about 2/4 cup buckwheat flakes, 3tbsp oil, 1ek sodabic.+1tbsp apple cider vinegar, 4tbsp apple puree and some pumpkin and sunflower seeds on top. It was such a big loaf… and I had a smaller loaf pan then I did remember, so I made a normal loaf and a flatter one to cut in half and turn into sandwich triangles. 🙂
This tastes amazing! Absolutely soft, but crispy on the outside, delicious and was easy to handle.
The measurement is maybe not perfect, but that’s what I just wrote down. Have a nice day and thanks for the help and advice! x

Oh and I forgot to ask, that how do you make your bread look so perfect baked in a higher loaf pan? Is the batter quite thick so you can cut really thin slices after baking? Because mine always rise well and then the edge hardens soquickly but the inside is still too soft. Could you share some great tips on how to bake a high “sandwich bread” loaf to set properly?

The batter is thick like in the photos. Be sure to score it well so the steam can escape. I have made it in many different kitchens and it mostly looks the same.
Perhaps your oven isn’t holding temperature? Also, as the recipe says I doubled the recipe when I took the photos.

This looks like a beautiful bread. I would like to make it but my boyfriend is allergic to oats as well as most other grains, both gf and not gf. (he can have buckwheat and millet, as well as quinoa and possibly amaranth, we haven’t really tried it. but i suspect he might be able to…) I’d like to stay away from quinoa (as well as bean flours) because i don’t like the assertive flavor. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can replace the oats with, preferably a grain free flour(s), and get similar results? I plan to play around with it some.

By the way, your cookbook is by far my favorite cookbook ever. Its so beautiful. I can spend hours looking at it and it never gets old. I especially love the spicy chickpea stew.

Thank you, I’m so glad you like my book. As far as grain free flours I haven’t made this recipe with some or all nut flours. You could try tigernut flour?
Let me know how it goes….oh you could also try adding some coconut nut flour but it does absorb lots of moisture!

Hi Amy! I am so in love with your beautiful book. The tips, suggestions, and insights are so helpful! I have been saving this recipe on my phone for weeks now and haven’t gotten around to making it yet, but I’m hoping this weekend I’ll give it a go. Quick question though: I know the importance of soaking grains, but would this bread be possible to make with pre-ground millet and buckwheat flour? I have an abundance of millet flour, as it is one of my favorites for baked goods and bread, so it would be lovely if I could use it and get similar results! Thanks for your continued inspiration.

Not sure why your cmment is only showing up now?? Sorry for the delay….but if you haven’t figured it out I would say yes you can make it with millet flour but you’ll have to experiment with amounts to get the right consistency.

Dear Amy,
I tried this bread today. I used only buckwheat (no millet at home and because I wanted to!). I used the amount of water of the recipe. I replace the backing power by sodium bicarbonate and apple vinegar. However, right out of the oven, I sliced the bread to check the cooking. It was to wet to my opinion. Do you think, using only buckwheat I should reduce the amount of water or I made something wrong ? Another possibility is the baking powder I missed.

Yes I do, it is much wetter (especially after being soaked) and also if you change other ingredients its hard to know how they will behave. I would try reducing the amount of water next time and maybe use more oats?
Let me know how it goes!
Amy x

To my embarrassment I must confess that this is my first Amy Chaplin recipe! I’ve been an avid follower of Green Kitchen Stories and My New Roots, which is how I found my way to you – and I am so glad that I did. This bread is unbelievably good, easy to make, awesome texture and so tasty! Thank you for the recipe! X

This was one of your first recipes that I made and I loved it! It was delicious. I followed your instructions but the top hollowed in and the insides were still not completely cooked. Any suggestions? I recently bought your book, cant wait to try more dishes!

Thanks for your message. I think it may have to do with the psyllium although I’m not completely sure. Some brands seem to work differently than others and this has happened to me before too! I’ll update recipe if I reveal anything helpful!

I absolutely love your book and this recipe looks delicious. The only thing is I don’t have a food processor – could I use millet flour and buckwheat flour in place of the grains? Would it be the same amount? Thanks!

I was wondering about the psyllium. I have tried it in the past and seemed to have an allergic response (think pollen type reaction) that seemed to only happen when I consumed the breads I had made with it. Is there an alternative to using it in this loaf? It looks really good and would love to try it.

I don’t know of anotheringredient that does the same dind of thing a psyllium–it’s so unusual! The bread needs something to brind it since there is no gluten…..I wish I could give some suggestions but I would try experimenting with recipes that don’t need it. Have you tried eating different brands? I’ve found that some powders have an odd flavor and color. I love the India brand.

This bread was shared by Sweet Potato Soul. I have been unable to find a decent GF bread. This is by far phenomenal & even non vegan/GF persons in my family like it. A double loaf never lasts more than a few days. I adore that I’m feeding my loved ones whole plant based foods. We are going to try this week adding lil honey to make more like honey wheat bread for my husband. I cannot wait to try the original recipe with avocado. You are simply genius and immensely appreciated. Blessings and great thanks.

THank you for writing such a lovely coment…sometimes I miss them and its so nice to stumble across ones like yours! I am so happy to hear your family are enjoying it too!
Look forward to hearing about your experiments!

Amy, this is THE best gluten free loaf I’ve ever made. Well done! I love the texture. Only thing is, I’m not a fan of millet. I find the taste a bit like the inside of a cupboard. Could you suggest a suitable alternative?

Hi
Love this loaf. I have made it using buckwheat/ millet and buckwheat/ quinoa – both fantastic. Have you ever tried making it with a legume, like soaked red lentils? Would this affect the rising? I also wanted to ask if the batter could be used to make hamburger buns? Has anyone ever tried?
Your cookbook is my favourite of 2015. Thanks for all the recipes and your fab website.
Kate

Hi Any
I’m making more and more GF items and trying to make bread. I have dinner fermented oats that are 3 weeks old. Is there anyway I could incorporate them into this recipe? I have thought about it but it’s not as simple as replacing your oats as my oatghurt (recipe from earthsprout) as it’s called had water in it.
Thank you for all the inspiration that you give us x

You would need to reduce the water in the recipe….but you could also add more grains/oats until you got the right consistancy. There are photos that may help.
Also it might work ok with a wetter dough.
Let me know how it goes!
Amy x

Hi Amy
My son has just been diagnosed with ciliac disease and I’m trying to make a gluten free bread. I like the ingredients that you have except I don’t want to use psyllium. I chose to use 1 T each of flaxseed and chia seed. I ground it and added 6T water plus 1/2 cup water. The outside of the bread came out hard but soft in the middle. It rose 1 1/2 inches. So do you think if I double the recipie and add the amount of water that you have in the recipie of 3 cups would that work? I know this is trial and error but was wanting to see if you have any comments or suggestions.

I don’t imagine it will work without the binding qualities of psyllium but great you tried!
Psyllium absorbs lots of water which is why there is so much in this recipe…without it I would reduce not increase water.
Please keep me posted on your experiments!

Amy, you’ve done it again. I just made this bread today, and it was a big hit at my house! I’m very impressed by the flavor and the texture. I went with the double batch for a bigger loaf and was worried that I hadn’t cooked it long enough….but it turned out just perfectly. Thank you for sharing your genius and delicious recipes with the world. 🙂

Hi Demi,
I haven’t used xantham gum and not sure how it would work in the bread. I would try and find raw buckwheat as the toasted has a much stronger flavor and I doubt it will have the same texture when blended. Please do let me know how you go.

I know that this recipe was posted almost 4 years ago but it’s new to me and I’m a huge fan of your cookbook already — I’ve made so many things from it! I’m baking this bread for the fourth time as we speak because my husband and I love it so much — it makes the perfect breakfast with avocado, 7 min egg and sea salt. I kick myself for not making a double batch after every loaf is gone. Thanks for the wonderful recipes!

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